Meant to Be?
by redrider6612
Summary: Booth has decided to pursue a relationship with Brennan, but she is her usual stubborn self.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was the first multi-chap I posted to ff and I was a newbie and didn't realize I should split up the chaps. So, long story short, I am re-posting it to do that. I apologize in advance to those who have me on author alert—I'm about to do this to my first three fics, so you're gonna get a bunch of alerts. Please don't shoot me!**

**Meant To Be?**

**Chapter 1**

Booth made a third circuit around Brennan's block, not because there were no parking spots, but because he was trying to work out exactly what he was going to say to her. He'd been awake a good part of last night thinking about it, had it all scripted in his mind, until he actually got in his SUV to go to her apartment. Then all the logical arguments flew out the window and he was back to the only thing he really wanted to say: I love you.

Oh, hell, just do it, Booth! What's the worst that could happen? She could kick you out and never talk to you again. She wouldn't do that--Bones would never do that.

This has to stop, he decided and pulled into a spot in front of her building, cutting the engine and getting out before he could change his mind. One way or the other, he needed to get it off his chest before it drove him crazy. He wasn't sleeping well or eating well and he was having a hard time concentrating at work.

He rang her doorbell and stood waiting, sheer strength of will keeping him from bolting. Then the door opened and she was standing there looking at him with a quizzical look on her face. For a moment he was speechless and then he remembered the excuse he had for coming to her apartment at 8 on a Friday night.

"You dropped your cell phone in my car," he managed, pulling the phone from his jacket pocket and handing it to her. She smiled and put it in her pocket, opening the door wider.

"Thanks for bringing it by. I wondered what happened to it. You want to come in? Have a drink?"

Booth smiled. "Sure. Sounds great. Got a beer?" He stepped into her living room and looked around, thankful that she was alone. There was a book opened and turned face down on a throw at one end of the sofa. A cup of tea sat on the coffee table in easy reach.

Booth took the beer she offered and sat down at the other end of the couch. Brennan sat with a leg drawn up under her and picked up her tea. There was an awkward pause as Booth tried to gather his thoughts. Brennan spoke first.

"I finished analysis of the remains we recovered in that warehouse this morning. I'll macerate the skeleton tomorrow so I can see if there is any evidence of the weapon used--"

"I didn't come here to discuss the case," Booth said. "I came here to talk about us."

A line formed between Bones' brows. "What do you mean?"

Booth took a deep breath, looked down at his hands and finally looked into her lovely eyes. "Have you ever thought about you and me, maybe, you know..." he looked away, took a deep breath and blew it out. "Wow, this is hard. Bones, I think we should consider dating. There, I said it."

Brennan still looked puzzled. "Each other? But Booth, what about what you said about not crossing the line with people you work with? I like working cases with you." Good, he thought, hopeful, she hadn't said no yet.

Booth fought the urge to move closer to her. With Bones it was best to keep a certain distance at this point. He was afraid if he was close enough to touch her, the conversation would be over, and he really needed to say his piece.

"I know what I said, but the sessions I've had with Dr Wyatt have made me realize a few things. Cam being poisoned didn't necessarily happen because she and I were involved. And the fact that we haven't been involved romantically hasn't kept you safe. I mean, you were buried alive! You've been shot at and Kenton nearly killed you."

Bones shook her head stubbornly. "If we get involved, you'll take risks for me--"

"I take risks for you NOW--don't you know there's nothing I wouldn't do to keep you safe, to save your life if someone is threatening you?" Against his better judgment, Booth moved closer to her, his eyes holding hers. "I even threatened a gang leader to drop the contract he put out on you. There is NOTHING I wouldn't do for you, Temperance."

Brennan searched his face, her heart racing at the love she found in his warm brown eyes. She finally looked away, closing her eyes and trying to bring order to her scattered thoughts. Was Booth really asking her to let him in? She had a hard time letting people get close--it hurt so much when they left her. It was so much easier if they stayed at arm's length. She had few close friends. As for lovers, satisfying biological urges was one thing. But she knew that wasn't what Booth wanted. A man like Booth wanted body and soul commitment.

"Seeley, I don't know if I can give you what you want. I date some and I have several partners I can call when I have biological needs. But what you want is more..." Brennan stopped, at a loss.

"Yes, I do want more. Haven't you felt it? Don't you ever wonder what we could be like?" Booth touched her shoulder and leaned closer. "I think we should give us a chance."

Brennan couldn't breathe, his face was so close and all she wanted to do was move the few inches it would take to meet his lips. Fear held her back. Then suddenly Booth's lips were softly touching hers and she found herself responding. His mouth tenderly explored hers and she sighed, slipping her arms up around his neck, pulling him closer.

Booth's heart was thundering at the feel of her in his arms at last. She felt so good, so right, unlike any other woman he'd ever known. Maybe now--

Brennan's senses were reeling. Booth smelled so good and she felt so safe cradled against his chest. The man really knew how to kiss, too. But this was Booth. What if things got awkward? How was she going to handle it if six months down the road he didn't want her any more? She loved working cases with Booth. She didn't want that to change.

Placing her hands on his chest she gently pushed. It took Booth a moment to realize her mood had changed. He moved away from her a little, but kept his arm around her shoulders.

Brennan got up and started pacing, trying to calm her pounding heart. Booth's arm dropped to his side and he watched her, wondering what was going through that brilliant mind of hers. He didn't have to wonder long.

"This is crazy! We can't do this. I mean, we WORK together! This isn't going to work! I don't know how to do this and how to be around you at work and oh, god, can't we just forget this ever happened?" She stopped and pinned him with an accusing stare. "This is your fault! If you hadn't...and we hadn't...oh, you need to go!" She punctuated her demand by lifting her right arm and pointing at the door firmly.

Booth rolled to his feet and stepped close to her. His voice was intimate and deep with emotion and barely contained frustration. "Don't think for a second that I don't know how much you enjoyed that. But I'm a patient man and I realize you need some time to deal with all this. I'm going to give you that time. But we'll be talking about this again...very soon." Stroking her cheek, he rubbed his thumb over her lower lip, dropping his eyes to follow the movement. It was obvious he was sorely tempted to kiss her again, but he just smiled and turned away. "See ya Monday," he said over his shoulder, and then he was gone.

Brennan dropped to the couch and put her head in her hands. What am I going to do now? she thought miserably. This was going to ruin everything.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Brennan looked up from the skeleton she was examining. Booth had just come into the lab, swiping his card and striding in with his usual brisk stride. He flashed his best charm smile and she put her head back down, focusing once more on the bones.

"Hey, Bones, what have you found out about the vic? Cause of death?" He stopped next to her and leaned over, trying to see what she was looking at so intently. Brennan tried to ignore the effect his nearness was having on her pulse and respiration. Stick to the case, Brennan, she scolded herself.

"Victim is an Asian female, 25 to 30 years old, 5 foot 2 inches tall, cause of death apprears to be 2 stab wounds to the abdominal area. It would have been a slow, painful death." She kept her voice even and didn't look up at him. It was easier if she didn't look at him.

"Hodgins, what have you learned from the dirt gathered from the scene?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call it dirt? Dirt is a meaningless term. There are so many different components dirt can be made up of--" he broke off his tirade at Booth's glare and decided not to push his luck. "The particulates found in the folds of the victims clothes indicate she was not killed in the warehouse. She was dragged through sand made up of silica and--"

Booth interrupted "Cut to the chase, Hodgins, have you pinpointed where she was killed based on the particulates?" He had neither the patience nor the time to listen to a long winded explanation that he probably wouldn't understand anyway.

Hodgins took it in stride. "There's a playground about a mile and a half from the abandoned warehouse where she was found. I examined a sample of the sand from the playground and it's a match to the particulates found on the body. There's a forensics team there right now looking for evidence of the primary crime scene, but it's unlikely they're going to find anything. Kids playing there every day keep the sand pretty stirred up. Based on the bug activity and advanced decomposition of the body, Dr Brennan and I think she's been dead 3 weeks."

"Do we have an ID yet?" he asked Brennan, who still hadn't looked up from her bones. How long can she go without looking at me? he wondered irritably.

Angela spoke up from the computer she was sitting at. "I'm putting in the skull and tissue markers right now, the Angelator should have something for us any minute." She smiled at Booth reassuringly. He knew he had an ally there. Something on the computer screen caught Angela's attention. "Here we go. Kyung Kim, 28 years old, from Korea, in this country 4 years, married to Sun Jin Kim, 36 years old, one child, a boy, 2 years old. They live near that playground."

Booth was impressed. "You people are brilliant! Got their address? Good! C'mon, Bones, we need to go talk to the frantic husband, see what we can learn." He grabbed her arm and started pulling her away.

"But I still haven't determined what she was stabbed with!" Brennan DID NOT want to be alone with him in his car. She just didn't think she could handle it yet.

"Zach can work on that while we're gone. C'mon, you always want to be involved in the field work. Let's go." His tone told her he wasn't going to put up with any excuses.

"Fine!" She gave Zach some last minute instructions as she pulled off her gloves, removed her lab coat and slipped on her sweater. All the while Booth stood there, impatient to be off. He was careful not to touch her on the way to his vehicle. He could sense it wouldn't take much to set her off.

Brennan seemed mesmerized by the passing scenery. Booth glanced at her several times, racking his brain for something to say. Funny, that usually wasn't a problem with her. They had a half hour drive ahead of them and he didn't want to spend it in silence, so he gave it a shot.

"Listen, Bones, let me do the talking when we get to the Kim's house, okay?"

Brennan's defenses flared up at that. "Why? Afraid I'm going to say something wrong?" Her tone was frostier than she had intended. Damn, he could get her mad faster than anyone else she knew.

"Nooo--well, yeah, you know, you don't always stop to think how someone might take things. You're too blunt sometimes." Booth glanced over to find her glaring at him. Good, at least she was looking at him, even if she did look like she wanted to hit him. He barely managed to hide a smile. He loved it when she got all fired up.

"I can't help it if people can't handle the truth. I don't understand why they want it sugar coated. Isn't it better to know the facts than to have them handed to you, homogenized? Couching them in polite terms doesn't change them, it just hides them. Give me blunt honesty any time over that!" Her frustration was obvious in the frown between her brows.

"Bones, people don't want-or need-to know all the gory details about the murder of their loved one. It just makes it that much more immediate and...horrifyingly real. Trust me, it's better my way, okay?" He looked over at her and caught the thoughtful look on her face. It was obvious she really didn't get why it should be that way, but it seemed she was willing to trust his judgment.

Brennan sighed and shook her head, "Whatever you say, Booth." Her gaze returned to the window and Booth could tell there was no point in trying to continue the conversation. Some things were just beyond her comprehension.

Back in the car following the interview with Mr. Kim, Booth could almost hear the wheels turning in Brennan's mind. He decided to head her off.

"He doesn't know anything about what happened to his wife and child," he stated. He was concentrating on merging into traffic, but he still caught her disbelieving look.

"How do you know? I suppose that's your 'gut' telling you that. What happened to 'the spouse is always the prime suspect'?"

Booth sighed in frustration. When was she going to learn to trust his 'gut'? "The fact that he didn't report them missing even though five hundred dollars were being drawn from their account every day. But more importantly, the man broke down completely when we told him she was dead and we found no sign of his son. You'd have to be a first class actor to carry that off." His mouth was grim as he thought about the poor man's grief. He didn't even want to think how he would feel if Parker went missing.

"He thought she had taken their son and left them because they were having marital problems. But she didn't take anything. That should have struck him as odd, don't you think? I mean, running away with a 2 year old, you would think she would have taken some toys, clothes, those kinds of things."

"He figured she knew that would look odd since they were just going to the park. It's the withdrawals that would have made me wonder. Five hundred once in awhile, fine. But every day? Why would she need to draw that much every day? The daily limit for ATM withdrawals on their account was five hundred. No way to take more than that without going into the bank. The killer wouldn't do that. I need to get the bank records, find out where the withdrawals were made, see if I can track the killer's trail. But where's the boy?" His heart squeezed when he thought of the boy. Parker...stop it, Booth, don't let this get personal. Work the case. Put your heart in a box.

Brennan pulled out the picture Mr. Kim had given them. Cute little boy. Some monster had him. She was determined to help Booth find him. Right now the thing hanging between them seemed petty. It would still be there when they'd solved the case. She'd deal with it then.

Booth glanced over at Bones and saw the determination in her gaze. "Don't worry, Bones. We'll find him. And we'll make the basard who took him pay for what he's done."

Brennan couldn't help the smile that teased her lips. "I'm sure we will. Together." Booth smiled grimly and focused once more on the road.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Brennan wasn't making any progress with the skeleton. The curf marks on the bones appeared to have been made by your average straight edge knife. The forensics team hadn't found any evidence of a primary crime scene at the playground. Questioning regulars at the playground hadn't produced any leads. She was really beginning to think the murderer was going to get away with it this time. Straightening up, she put her hands to the small of her back and dropped her head back, rolling it back and forth in an attempt to work out the kinks. She jumped when a pair of strong hands closed around her neck. Grabbing the right wrist, she twisted and drove her right elbow into her attacker's stomach. There was a whoosh of air in her right ear and a grunt of pain. Brennan continued her move, ducking under his arm and twisting it...then she saw who had attacked her.

"Booth! What are you doing here? It's nearly midnight! And why did you attack me?" She tried to keep her voice down--the acoustics in the lab made shouting a bad idea.

Booth was rubbing his stomach, bent slightly and leaning on the table the skeleton was on. She didn't have the heart to smack the hand he was leaning on.

"Bones, I wasn't attacking you, I was going to rub your neck. I could tell it was bothering you. Next time I'll announce my presence--loudly. Sometimes I forget about the martial arts training. Remind me never to really tick you off."

Brennan had her arms folded as she regarded him. "What are you doing here this late? Something couldn't wait until tomorrow?" She peeled off her gloves and tucked them into her pocket. She noticed Booth still wore his suit, but his tie was gone and he'd unbuttoned the top couple buttons. Other than that, he looked as fresh as if it were first thing in the morning. She felt grubby by comparison.

"The analysts found a pattern to the bank withdrawals. They seem so be centered around an apartment complex 5 miles south of the playground. The ATM cameras weren't much help. The person wore a hooded jacket and large sunglasses, so face recognition is zip."

"So, you've got nothing? And you couldn't wait until tomorrow to tell me that?" She turned and headed for her office, beyond caring if he followed. She was tired and hadn't eaten since the sandwich she'd grabbed at 1.

"I was hoping you had more success than I had. Did you?" he asked as he followed her. The slump to her shoulders spoke volumes. He knew what she was going to say before she said it.

Dropping into her desk chair, Brennan leaned back and closed her eyes briefly. "No, nothing. Booth, I'm really afraid this one is going to get away with it. I'm at a loss." Booth couldn't stand the defeated tone of her voice. He came around the desk and leaned his hips against it, within easy reach of her.

"Look at me," he commanded softly. She opened her eyes wearily. "We WILL catch this guy. We will go back over the evidence, we'll question more people at the park. Somebody had to see something. They disappeared from the park in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. No way that goes completely unnoticed."

She shook her head, a wry smile on her face. "When did you become such an optimist?"

He put his hands on the arms of her chair and leaned close. "When did you become such a pessimist? Don't worry, we are going to keep working the case until we catch this guy. Because that's what we do." Then, because he needed it and he knew she did too, he kissed her softly, threading the fingers of his right hand through her silky hair like he'd been wanting to do. His heart thrummed when she responded, the hitch in her breathing telling him she was as affected by the kiss as strongly as he was. He pulled back before she could and she looked at him with a bemused expression.

"Let's go grab a bite and you can tell me what you've found so far." Booth straightened and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. She swayed a little and Booth steadied her with an arm around her waist. She must be exhausted, he thought with concern, as she leaned into his side.

Brennan didn't have the energy to argue. Maybe if she laid it all out to Booth, something would come to her. It was worth a shot.

Brennan sat back on the couch, surveying the remains of their late dinner. Not much left, not that it mattered, because she was full. Booth was finished and he sat back too, stretching his arms along the back of the couch.

"Well, Bones, from what you've told me, you don't have anything that's going to help our case. So now I'm going to clean this mess up and head for home. You need to get some sleep." Standing, he started stuffing cartons and napkins into the bag. Brennan moved to help him but he shooed her back. "I've got this. You just relax for a minute. I'll be right back."

When he returned from the kitchen, he stopped just inside the living room, the sight of Bones lightly snoring on the couch causing a hitch in his heartbeat. There were faint circles under her eyes. She took her job so seriously, but that was part of who she was. Booth made a vow right then to catch the killer, whatever it took. It was the only way he could give her some peace.

He leaned over her and stroked her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled faintly. "I'm sorry, Booth, I'm just so tired." She pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes. Booth caught her hands and drew her to her feet. He could see the effort she was putting into staying upright and resisted the urge to wrap her in his arms. She wouldn't thank him for that, her pride wouldn't allow it. Before he could stop himself, he dropped a kiss on her lips, kept it brief because otherwise he wouldn't be leaving like he should.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bones. Get some rest." Shoving his hands into his pockets he headed for the door. He closed it behind himself and leaned against it for a moment to steady himself. He forced his feet to walk to his car, got in and drove home, ignoring his libido. He'd promised her some time and if it killed him, he was going to give it to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Brennan sat at her desk picking at the turkey sandwich she had brought for lunch. The morning had been fruitless as they checked and rechecked data. A headache had wrapped itself around her head, making it hard to think. She just didn't know what to do next.

Angie came into her office as she was massaging her temples. "Sweetie, do you need some aspirin?"

Brennan smiled. "If you have some, that would be wonderful, thanks Ange." She took the aspirin and leaned back in her chair, taking deep breaths, trying to de-stress.

"You've gone over everything three times, Bren. Maybe Booth will have something more. Have you called him?"

Brennan shook her head. "He would have called if he had something. All that keeps running through my mind is what might have happened to the little boy. What if he's dead too? I don't think I could stand it."

"Sweetie, you are always the first one to tell everyone else not to jump to conclusions. Until we know otherwise, we have to assume he's still alive."

Suddenly Booth was in her doorway. "C'mon Bones, it looks like we might have another victim. This time we have a witness, so we may have caught a break." His face was grim and she knew he was thinking about the new victim that wouldn't have been killed if they'd solved the case. That kind of thinking wasn't going to help.

Brennan grabbed her coat and headed for the door. "Let's go. You can fill me in on the way."

In the car Booth ran down how things had progressed so far. "Forensics went back to the abandoned warehouse to sweep the crime scene again and discovered the fresh body. Must've been dumped there sometime during the night, because I have units circling by there daily, in case the perp showed up. The M.E. is already on the scene and forensics is gathering evidence as we speak. Hopefully the basard screwed up and left us something to go on this time."

"Why would he dump the body in the same place again? He had to know we'd be watching."

"Bones, sometimes killers like to stick with what's worked for them before. He probably figures since he got away with the last one, he could do it again. And that's good for us, I hope. We already have an ID on the vic and I've flagged her bank account. If he follows the pattern, there should be a hit on it in the next 24 hours. I have plainclothes staking out all branches of that bank. We're gonna get him this time." He reached for her hand and squeezed it, offering what comfort he could. It was about time they caught a break.

Booth's cell phone rang. "Booth. Where? We're on our way." He snapped the phone shut and hit the sirens, swinging a u-turn. "One of the plainclothes units caught someone using the vics ATM card. We got him, Bones." Booth drove with grim concentration and Brennan braced a hand on the dash. It all seemed too simple, so anticlamactic. Could it really be this easy?

The street in front of the bank was swarming with cop cars, lights flashing. Booth pulled in with a screech of tires and hit the ground at a run. Brennan slammed out of the SUV and caught up to him as he approached the cops surrounding the suspect. Pulling out his badge, Booth waded through.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth, I need to talk to the suspect." The cops parted and Brennan and Booth got a look at the guy. He wore a hooded sweatshirt that was noticeably cleaner than the rest of his clothes. His pants had a hole in one knee and his T-shirt had food stains down the front. Booth stepped up to the guy, then took a quick step back as he caught a whiff of him. He didn't even have to ask him any questions--the man was babbling.

"Man, I didn't do nuthin', I'm just mindin' my business, this guy comes up and gives me this hoodie and shoves an ATM card in my hand. Then he tells me the PIN number and gives me $100 and tells me to put the hood up and go use the machine after he's gone. I thought I hit the lottery. I didn't do nuthin' wrong!" His voice rose on this last and he kept looking back and forth between Booth and Brennan.

Booth pushed his jacket back and put his left hand on his hip, dropping his head. "Damn, this guy's sneaky. Set up a decoy."

Brennan glanced at the guy in custody. He was obviously a vagrant, pressed into service by the murderer. Another dead end. Brennan put her hand on Booth's arm. "Booth, let's go see what they found at the warehouse. Booth?"

"What did he look like?" Booth asked in a dangerously soft voice. The vagrant withered under Booth's intense stare.

"You know, just like a normal guy, not as tall as you, brown hair, sunglasses."

"What was he wearing?"

"Jeans, black T-shirt, tennis shoes. Hey, could ya take these cuffs off? They're hurtin' my wrists!"

Booth sighed and motioned to one of the cops, then turned away, heading back to the car. Brennan skipped to keep up with him. His body language told her to be quiet.

Back on the road, Brennan studied Booth's profile. His lips were set in a thin line and a muscle was jumping in his cheek. He looked like his temper was barely being held in check. Knowing it wasn't directed at her, she found the courage to speak at last.

"Maybe there's something at the scene. And you said there's a witness. It isn't over yet, Booth."

He glanced over at her. "I know, Bones, that's just the problem. It isn't over. I thought when they caught this guy at the ATM that we finally had him." He smacked his fist against the steering wheel. "He's playing with us and I don't like it. And now he has another kid. A three year old girl!"

Brennan reached over and put a soothing hand on his arm. "We'll get him. We have to. Don't worry, Booth." He put his left hand on top of hers and squeezed to show how much he appreciated her gesture, but he couldn't stop thinking about the little girl. Sometimes he wondered how he could continue doing this job. It was especially hard when kids were the victims.

&&&&

Brennan noticed they were headed to the Hoover building. "What are you doing? I thought we were going to the warehouse?"

Booth pulled into a parking spot in the garage and cut the engine. "I want to question the witness first, give the crime scene people time to do their thing. Come here."

Brennan just stared at him. Releasing his seat belt, he reached for her and pulled her into his arms. Burying his face in her soft, fragrant hair, he sighed. She put her arms around him, stroking his back. After a few moments, she tried to pull away but he stopped her. Looking deep into her eyes, he slowly brought her in for a kiss, giving her every chance to protest, but she couldn't find the will to deny what they both wanted and needed. When his lips closed over hers a sigh shuddered through her. No matter how complicated her feelings for him were, she had to admit, he could send her pulse racing faster than anyone she had been with before.

Booth's cell phone rang and they sprang apart, as though the caller could see what they were doing. Booth flipped it open as he straightened his tie. "Booth" Brennan sat back in her seat, trying to catch her breath. "Really? We just got here. We'll be right up." Snapping the phone shut, Booth glanced at his partner, a smile cocking up one corner of his mouth. "They got a sketch artist with the witness and the sketch is almost done. Are you okay?" he asked softly when she just sat staring out the window.

She looked at him but couldn't meet his eyes. "Yeah, fine, that's great! Let's go!" She reached for the door handle. Booth stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Bones," he began, but stopped at the look she gave him. "Okay, not now, but soon and I mean real soon." Because I don't know how much longer I can take this, he finished silently. They got out of the car and headed upstairs.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Brennan watched through the two way mirror as Booth questioned the witness in the interrogation room. Judging by her expression the woman was obviously shaken, but was holding up pretty well.

"After he grabbed the little girl, what happened?" Booth kept his voice low but firm.

The woman tucked her hair behind her ear and met his gaze, tears were standing her eyes. "He-he put her in his car, in the back seat, and the lady, she was fighting him, trying to get her baby back. And he grabbed her arm and said something real low that I couldn't hear. Then he shoved her in the front seat, got in and they drove off." The tears spilled over and her voice broke. "It all happened so quick, I didn't have time to even think what to do! I thought at first he was her husband and they were having a fight, but after they were gone and I had time to think about it, I didn't think so. Something just felt wrong." She wiped her eyes with a tissue. "That's when I called 911. I just wish I'd gotten the whole plate number."

Booth straightened, apparently satisfied that he'd learned all he could from the witness. "You did just fine. I think what you've given us is going to help us a lot. Thanks for coming in, Mrs. Shaw. You may be called in later to identify the suspect, okay?" She nodded and stood, and Booth turned her over to a female cop at the door.

Brennan joined him in the hall. Booth was already punching numbers into his cell phone. "Trina, got anything on that partial plate yet?" Brennan could hear the shrill response as Booth pulled the phone away from his ear. He raised his eyebrows at her comically and she smiled. "Whoa, I know it's only been a half hour, but I know how good you are with that computer. I figured you'd have an address by now--" More shrillness and Booth made a soothing motion with his hand as though Trina could see him. "Okay, okay, just call me soon as you have something? Thanks, Trina, I owe you." The next response was lower and nearly inaudible. "Well, now, I don't think Frank would like it if I moved in on his girl. Not that I'm not tempted--" again with the eyebrows, wiggling this time. Brennan rolled her eyes and started off down the hall. Booth could follow her or not, she wasn't going to hang around to listen to him flirting with another woman.

Booth caught up to her in the garage. "Bones, wait up. I was just, you know, calming her down. It didn't mean anything." Brennan stood at the car, arms folded, waiting for him to unlock the door. She didn't like the jealousy that had reared its ugly head. She had no claim on Booth, no right to get upset if he flirted with another woman. Sheesh, Tempe, get a grip.

Booth trapped her between his arms against the SUV and ducked down a little to get her to meet his eyes. "Bones? Are you okay?" Brennan couldn't resist the earnest look on his face, almost like he was worried.

"I'm fine, I have no logical reason to be jealous. I just--I don't know, it bothered me for some reason." Brennan looked away, unable to meet his penetrating look. He cupped her shoulders and pulled her close, rubbing his hands over her back. She tried to stay rigid in his arms, but found it hard to resist leaning into his solid warmth. Finally she pushed back and looked up at him.

"Hey, I thought you were going to give me time. What happened to the 'patient man'?" she accused softly.

Booth quirked a lopsided grin at her. "I never said I wasn't going to try working my charms on you. I just meant that we would talk about our relationship later, when you've had time to adjust. I'm just helping you come to the right decision. Can't blame a guy for trying." She opened her mouth to argue and was silenced by Booth's kiss. A very thorough, knee melting, pulse pounding kiss. Then he hit the door locks and stepped away. If she hadn't been leaning on the car, she would probably have fallen over. He has to stop doing this to me, Brennan thought desperately. Screwing up my head. Making me crazy. Steady at last even if her mind was still mushy, she got into the car and fastened her seat belt.

Booth got in and started the car, throwing her a grin. "Let's go see what the squints have so far." HE didn't seem to be having any problems with mushy brain, Brennan thought resentfully.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After their visit to the M.E., Booth and Brennan stopped at the diner for lunch. They were content to eat in silence, each of them mulling over the M.E.'s findings along with what forensics had come up with. The sum total was disappointingly sparse.

Brennan wiped her mouth and pushed her plate away, taking a sip of her tea. Booth was staring out the window, frowning, trying to work the evidence around to some kind of lead. It just wasn't enough to get them anywhere.

"Booth," Brennan said, waving her hand in front of his eyes when she got no response. It took him a moment to blink and focus on her. "At least there was dermis under her fingernails. Even though it didn't turn up anything on CODIS, we'll have evidence to connect the suspect to the murder when we do finally catch him."

Booth pushed his plate away too and sat back. "Won't do us any good if we can't find the slimeball--" he broke off when his cell phone rang. "Booth" His eyes snapped to Brennan's as he pulled his notebook from his breast pocket. "What's the address? Thanks Trina...tell ya what, I'll buy ya lunch one day next week..."

Brennan threw a couple bills on the table and scooted out of the booth. She really didn't need to hear any more and she wanted to visit the ladies room before they hit the road.

Booth was waiting impatiently by the front door of the diner when she emerged from the restroom. "Trina gave me the suspect's name and address. It's in the apartment complex we had narrowed in on. I've already called in a tac team to meet us there." Brennan felt her pulse kick up in excitement--at last! Maybe this time they'd get lucky.

Booth drove with quiet intensity and Brennan let him. She knew how much he needed this to be their break, finally. Another victim could turn up at any time. Her hand was braced on the dash and the other was braced on the seat beside her. Booth finally darted a look at her.

"Bones, I want you to stay back when we get there. I've got 6 guys surrounding the place and we don't need you getting in the way."

"I won't be in the way, Booth. I've got my gun and I'm a very good shot. I don't need to be protected."

Booth sighed in frustration. "It's got nothing to do with your marksmanship. You're not trained in these situations. It isn't necessary for you to risk getting hurt. Let me and the team go in and neutralize the guy, then you can come in." He didn't want to think about how he'd feel if something happened to her. He risked another look at her and felt his frustration rise to a new high at the stubborn look on her face. "This is not open for debate. I will handcuff you to the car if you argue with me. Don't push me."

Brennan opened her mouth to say something further and snapped it shut at his glare. She knew he'd make good on his threat, she could tell by the grim set to his mouth. "Okay, but I want to know the minute it's safe for me to come in."

Booth was slightly suspicious of the ease with which he'd won that round. What was she up to? he wondered. At his probing look, she smiled at him innocently.

They parked down the block from the apartment complex. Booth put on his vest and checked his gun as Brennan looked up and down the street. She saw a black sedan a few yards back and another down a side street. There was third in the alley not far away. The team's all here, she thought.

Three of the team were outside the suspect's windows to cut off that possible escape route. Booth took the other three into the hall outside apartment 115. Brennan hung back, her gun held down along her leg. At Booth's silent three count, they busted in the door and moved in, sweeping the rooms and calling out "FBI, anyone home? Show yourself!"

Suddenly shots rang out and Brennan heard a grunt of pain. Booth! she thought with a sharp jolt of fear. He always insisted on being the first in. Brennan burst into the apartment, looking around frantically. She could hear a struggle toward the back of the apartment and rushed toward it. One of the agents was down on one knee by a body on the floor. Brennan's heart seized.

Then she heard Booth cursing a blue streak. "Dammit, it's just a flesh wound, the bullet passed right through, I'm fine! Let me up, dammit, I wanna see the ahole that shot me!" A smile quirked her lips. He couldn't be hurt too bad if he was carrying on like that.

"Calm down! They have the suspect secured, Booth. Let me wrap your wound so you don't bleed all over the place." Sachs had a field dressing that he was trying to press to the wound in Booth's upper arm. Brennan stepped up.

"Booth, if you bleed all over the place, you'll compromise any evidence forensics may be able to gather, so would you please be still?" He looked up at her and she was surprised that he looked--embarrassed? That puzzled her but what he said next brought comprehension.

"I let the slimeball get the drop on me. I had him in my sights and he dropped and rolled and fired and...SHOT ME!" Sachs finished dressing the wound and stood, offering Booth a hand up. Booth glared at him and painfully got up unaided.

The other two agents came into the room with the suspect cuffed between them. He was an average looking guy, brown hair in a military cut, average height and build. If you passed him on the street, you wouldn't even give him a thought. Odd, Brennan thought, how that was usually the case. She supposed their very average looks allowed them to perpetrate their crimes with no one suspecting them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Brennan and Booth faced the murderer, Matt Hines, across the interrogation table. He was lounging back in the chair, apparently completely unfazed by their accusatory stares. In fact, he looked bored. Booth put his right foot up on the chair next to Hines, leaning his right arm, which was in a sling, on his knee.

"Where are the kids, Hines? What did you do with the little boy and the little girl?" His voice cracked a little and he cleared his throat. He placed pictures of the missing children on the table in front of the suspect, who barely glanced at them. Booth slammed his left fist down on the table with barely contained rage. "Look at them, dam you! They're just babies!"

Hines met the fury in Booth's eyes with nonchalance. "I don't know what you're talking about. I still don't know why you busted my door in. I haven't done anything. Is my lawyer here yet?" From his tone of voice he might have been requesting a glass of water. Booth leaned closer to Hines, but Brennan stayed him with a hand and spoke for the first time.

"Mr. Hines, we have dermis recovered from under the second victim's fingernails. A DNA test will confirm that it is yours and then you'll be charged with the murder of Shawna Davis. I suggest you cooperate--it may help your defense."

"Bones, don't make the dirtbag any promises. He'll get the maximum and if he's hurt those kids, I'll personally make sure he gets the death penalty." Once more leaning in, Booth's voice became menacingly soft. "C'mon, Hines. You know what happens to child killers in prison? Even if you manage to survive death row for any length of time, the other inmates are going to have a field day with you, you sadistic S.O.B." This last was said with a grim smile as though Booth was enjoying the thought. "We have a witness who saw you take Shawna Davis and her little girl from the park. The witness described your car and gave a partial plate. Now, what did you do with the kids?"

Hines sat up from his slouch but tried to maintain the innocent act. It was beginning to slip. There was a soft knock at the door and Agent Campbell opened the door and motioned with his head. Booth and Brennan went into the hall and closed the door. "The lawyer just got here. Want me to stall him?"

Booth frowned. "How much time can you give me?"

Campbell shrugged. "Five minutes, tops."

"Okay, thanks." Booth moved to go back in the room but Brennan stopped him.

"Are you going to do that lying thing you do?"

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing. If you don't want to watch, don't come in." With that he opened the door and she went in behind him. Hines had resumed his unconcerned posture.

"Well, DNA recovered from your apartment came back a positive match to the skin under the victim's nails. We have all we need to prosecute. Now, why don't you just tell me what happened to the kids?" For the first time Hines started to look worried. Brennan hid a triumphant smile. Booth was really good at this.

"Okay, but no death penalty, or I don't talk." His eyes met Booth's with false bravado. "You'll never find them otherwise." Booth reluctantly nodded and Brennan sat down. "I--I sold them, black market. Didn't get as much for the boy as I did for the girl. Asians aren't in as high demand as little blond girls. I'll give you the name and contact number for the broker." He dropped his head into his hands as the gravity of his situation finally hit him. Brennan thought his shoulders were shaking. She met Booth's triumphant glance with one of her own. He was SO good at this. Just then the attorney arrived, flustered and irritated by the runaround he had been given.

Back in Brennan's office at the Jeffersonian, Booth kicked back on her couch, pleased with himself. Brennan sat in the chair angled by the couch and watched him. She was so glad the kids had been found and were even now being reunited with their families. They were totally unharmed except possibly for the trauma of losing their mothers at a tender age. Tears welled in her eyes and her throat choked up as she thought about them growing up without their mothers. Booth saw the tears and sat up, catching her hand in his.

"It's okay, Bones. They're safe now. As young as they are, they'll bounce back from this. Kids are very resilient." Stroking her knuckles, he watched the emotions move across her beautiful face.

Dashing the tears from her cheeks, she managed a shaky smile. "I know, Booth. It's just that I know what it's like to lose your mother. At least I was old enough to remember mine. These two kids aren't going to have anything but photographs of theirs. It makes me sad."

Booth stood up and pulled her to her feet, drawing her to him with his good arm. She laid her head on his shoulder as his hand rubbed her back. They stood that way for some time, drawing comfort from each other. Booth pulled back and cupped her cheek in his left hand, pleased to see the tears were gone. Dropping his eyes to her lips and finally back to her eyes, he sensed her need to keep it light for the time being. He kissed her softly and stepped back.

"It's late, I'm gonna go."

Brennan nodded and stepped back too. "Okay, I'll see you soon."

At the door he turned to look at her, cocky smile in place once more. "Don't think I've forgotten about that talk."

Brennan smiled back. "Good night, Booth." Then he was gone and she dropped back into the chair. The man was very persistent. Probably what made him such a great investigator. Wonder if that carries over to the bedroom...Tempe, get a grip! The scolding continued almost all the way home.

THE END


End file.
